Arriving at UAB after building Tennessee's Lipscomb Academy into a state high school power, Trent Dilfer immediately faced the tall task of building a staff as a first-time college head coach.
Sources have shared with FootballScoop a number of those hires, and they range from familiar faces for him to some up and coming coaching talent from the Big Ten and SEC filling support staff roles. A few of these have also been reported elsewhere.
We previously shared that the offensive coordinator role on Dilfer's staff will be Alex Mortensen. Mortensen is a former Arkansas and Samford quarterback who has spent the past few seasons as an analyst on Nick Saban's staff.
Reilly Jeffers, who has spent the past two seasons as a program assistant at Ohio State, is going to coach the tight ends, sources have shared. Jeffers previously worked with Dilfer on the Lipscomb Academy staff where he coached the tight ends. He also previously spent time on the staff at FAU.
Jalen Harris, a graduate assistant at Arkansas and former Auburn player, is also expected to join the staff in an offensive analyst role.
Danny Mitchell, who spent last season leading the Vienna Vikings to a European League of Football Championship in his first season with the team, will also serve in an offensive analyst role sources have shared. Mitchell has previous coaching experience at San Jose State, San Diego, as well as a few other stops overseas.
Nick Coleman, an offensive analyst on staff at South Carolina, is expected to join Dilfer's staff as an offensive assistant. Prior to joining the Gamecocks staff, Coleman was the offensive coordinator at Northeast Mississippi CC (JC) and Murray State (FCS - KY).
On the defensive side of the ball, Dilfer is bringing another Ohio State staffer in Miguel Patrick. Patrick, who worked in a defensive quality control role for the Buckeyes, will be a defensive analyst for Dilfer and the Blazers.
Stay tuned to The Scoop as Dilfer continues to round out his staff, and identify his on-field coaches.